The invention relates to a tiltable metallurgical vessel, in particular a steel making converter vessel having a fixed bearing and an expansion bearing for the carrying trunnions, wherein the bearings housings are mounted on load cells that rest on the supporting construction.
In recently developed metal production processes and in particular in steel production processes, the weight changes of the materials charged are used for controlling the production process. Curves showing the changes of the weight of the bath are recorded for monitoring the process. The course of the curves allows for conclusions to be reached concerning the carbon content of the melt, the temperature of the bath, as well as the tendency towards slopping. Therefore, the precise weighing of the material charged and the additions during the heats is very important. It is a prerequisite for an exact measurement of the weight that only vertical forces act on the load cells because transversal forces distort the result of the measurement or make it inaccurate.
In hitherto constructed converters equipped with load cells or weighing transducers, the load cells were placed under the pedestal structure, or the carrying trunnion bearing housings were guided in the vertical direction by rollers in a recess of the pedestal containing the load cells (British Pat. No. 1,373,652). In another apparatus an intermediate plate having a thickness of 25 to 60 mm was arranged between the bearing housing and the supporting construction, which intermediate plate accommodated all the forces resulting from the expansion bearing displacement, the skull pushing and the converter operation.
All the known above-mentioned apparatuses do not meet the prerequisite of an exclusively vertical force or load impact on the load cells. When an intermediate plate is used, it is subjected to a statically undefined wear, and therefore it is necessary to use a plate having a yield point that is as high as possible, such as a plate having spring steel quality. However during the weighing procedure the yield point of the plate must not be exceeded, i.e. the wear must remain within the elastic range. Such plates, which for safety reasons must be overdimensioned, are not only difficult to get, but are also very expensive. Furthermore, the load cells must be frequently re-adjusted, e.g. each time after skull pushing, which means a loss of time and production.